Social Security Caregiver Credit Act of 2014 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act with respect to determining entitlement to and the amount of any monthly benefit, including any lump-sum death payment, payable under OASDI on the basis of the wages and self-employment income of any individual. Deems such an individual to have been paid a wage (according to a specified formula) during each month during which the individual was engaged for at least 80 hours in providing care to a dependent relative without monetary compensation for up to five years of such service. Makes this Act inapplicable in the case of any monthly benefit or lump-sum death payment if a larger benefit or payment would be payable without its application.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5024 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5024
To amend title II of the Social Security Act to credit prospectively
individuals serving as caregivers of dependent relatives with deemed
wages for up to five years of such service.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 8, 2014
Mrs. Lowey (for herself, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. Moore, Ms. Kaptur, Ms.
DeLauro, Mr. Grijalva, Ms. Kuster, Ms. Schwartz, and Mr. McDermott)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Ways and Means
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title II of the Social Security Act to credit prospectively
individuals serving as caregivers of dependent relatives with deemed
wages for up to five years of such service.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Social Security Caregiver Credit Act
of 2014''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that:
(1) Caregiving is an essential element of family life and a
vital service for children, the ill, the disabled, and the
elderly.
(2) The establishment of a caregiver credit would bolster
the economic prospects of unpaid caregivers and would provide
them with vital retirement security.
(3) The 2013 Annual Report of the Board of Trustees of the
Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance and Federal Disability
Insurance Trust Funds concluded that the combined Trust Funds
will be able to pay scheduled benefits in full until 2033.
(4) While there is no immediate crisis, policy options
should be considered to extend OASDI solvency, including by
eradicating the gender wage gap, increasing overall employment,
or increasing the minimum wage.
SEC. 3. DEEMED WAGES FOR CAREGIVERS OF DEPENDENT RELATIVES.
Title II of the Social Security Act is amended by adding after
section 234 (42 U.S.C. 434) the following new section:
``deemed wages for caregivers of dependent relatives
``Sec. 235. (a) Definitions.--For purposes of this section--
``(1) The term `qualifying month' means, in connection with
an individual, a month during which such individual was engaged
for not less than 80 hours in providing care to a dependent
relative without monetary compensation. Such term does not
include any month ending after the date on which such
individual attains retirement age (as defined in section
216(l)).
``(2) The term `dependent relative' means, in connection
with an individual--
``(A) a child, grandchild, niece, or nephew (of
such individual or such individual's spouse or domestic
partner) who is under the age of 12, or
``(B) a child, grandchild, niece, or nephew (of
such individual or such individual's spouse or domestic
partner), a parent, aunt, or uncle (of such individual
or his or her spouse or domestic partner), or such
individual's spouse or domestic partner, if such child,
grandchild, niece, nephew, parent, aunt, uncle, spouse,
or domestic partner is a chronically dependent
individual.
``(3)(A) The term `chronically dependent individual' means
an individual who--
``(i) is dependent on a daily basis on verbal
reminding, physical cueing, supervision, or other
assistance provided to the individual by another person
in the performance of at least two of the activities of
daily living (described in subparagraph (B)), and
``(ii) without the assistance described in clause
(i), could not perform such activities of daily living.
``(B) The `activities of daily living' referred to in
subparagraph (A) are the following:
``(i) Eating.
``(ii) Bathing.
``(iii) Dressing.
``(iv) Toileting.
``(v) Transferring in and out of a bed or in and
out of a chair.
``(b) Deemed Wages of Caregiver.--(1)(A) For purposes of
determining entitlement to and the amount of any monthly benefit for
any month after December 2014, or entitlement to and the amount of any
lump-sum death payment in the case of a death after such month, payable
under this title on the basis of the wages and self-employment income
of any individual, and for purposes of section 216(i)(3), such
individual shall be deemed to have been paid during each qualifying
month (in addition to wages or self-employment income actually paid to
or derived by such individual during such month) at an amount per month
equal to--
``(i) in the case of a qualifying month during which no
wages or self-employment income were actually paid to or
derived by such individual, 50 percent of the average amount of
wages and self-employment income otherwise credited to
individuals for such month under this title; and
``(ii) in the case of any other qualifying month, the
excess of the amount determined under clause (i) over \1/2\ of
the wages or self-employment income actually paid to or derived
by such individual during such month.
``(B) In any case in which there are more than 60 qualifying months
for an individual, only the last 60 of such months shall be taken into
account for purposes of this section.
``(2) Paragraph (1) shall not be applicable in the case of any
monthly benefit or lump-sum death payment if a larger such benefit or
payment, as the case may be, would be payable without its application.
``(c) Identification Requirements.--A qualifying month shall not be
taken into account under this section with respect to an individual
unless such individual provides the Commissioner of Social Security
with the name and identifying information of the dependent relative
with respect to whom the individual was engaged in providing care
during such month, and other information as the Commissioner may
require to verify the status of the dependent relative, on whatever
application may be required to obtain benefits under this section.''.
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Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
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